You've really got to feel for the Lloyds of Canada, who tried flying back home from Britain with this army-base souvenir tucked into their carry-on luggage, only to be told it was a "firearm," and not allowed on the plane.

When it set off the security alarms at Gatwick airport, south of London, airport staff investigated the £135 ($214) souvenir and deemed it a "firearm," despite it being a wood-mounted resin figurine. I mean, I wouldn't stick it on my mantlepiece, but obviously Mr and Mrs Lloyd took a fancy to it when they bought it from the Royal Corps of Signals Museum in Blandford Camp, Dorset.

And so the trauma of shipping it back to Canada commenced. First, they had to weasel the 3cm rifle out of the little soldier's grip, then buy an envelope from a giftshop and arrange for it to be sent back to Ontario—apparently Royal Mail saw no security issue with a friggin' firearm replica going through the postal system. [SWNS via Metro]